Lori Pori What's the Story?

Here's a copy of our Christmas letter this year.

Merry Christmas! It’s been many years since we sent Christmas cards, so we’ll try to pack this letter full of details.


A.J. is seven years old and a little firecracker! He is passionate, lovable, and feisty. A.J. is a second grade student and.excels in his studies. His spirited nature gets him into trouble sometimes, but he flashes a smile, gives you a hug and all is forgiven. Next year, A.J. will be baptized, and he cannot wait!


Michael is 11 years old, but demonstrates maturity beyond his years. His soberness and compassion bring so much to our family. As a natural peacemaker, his presence in our home is a great blessing. Michael is a superb 6th student who loves sports. He has many friends and is always thinking of others. Next year, Michael will turn 12, and he’s looking forward to being ordained a deacon.


David is 15 years old and a sophomore. He is our absentminded professor. He’s highly intelligent and able to discuss difficult math and science concepts, but sometimes forgets to acknowledge others. He is not afraid to try new things. He’s a talented French horn player who taught himself to play the trumpet and saxophone. This year, David is a member of the Academic Decathlon team in addition to his heavy academic load (all honors courses plus 2 AP classes). He attends an early morning church class at 5:50 am on school days. David seems to have endless energy and an excitement for life.


Jacob will be 18 in February. He attends a middle college high school. His school day is split between high school and college classes. When he graduates next June, Jacob will have completed his first year of college. He plans to attend College of the Canyons one more year, then transfer to University of Southern California. Although we are pleased that Jacob is maturing and doing well, it is hard to watch him become more independent and know he will move out someday. A bittersweet time.


Laurie is enjoying her time as a stay at home mom. With the kids in school all day, she’s been pursuing some of her interests. In particular, she’s been working on John’s family’s genealogy. It’s a daunting task, but an enjoyable one. Laurie has also been working on genealogy indexing. She volunteers her time through a website (www.familysearchindexing.com) and creates searchable indexes from digitized old birth certificates, census records, etc. It is amazing how technology has made this work so quick, and how it allows people to do it anywhere they have a computer and internet connection.


John is working in the film industry as a computer animator. He’s currently working on Night at the Museum 2. Although he loves working in film, he’s considering making the switch to games. Over the past decade, more work has been outsourced, and less companies are hiring staff, opting to hire freelance workers instead. While we’ve been blessed that John has worked steadily, it is getting a bit tiresome finding a new job every few months.


We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for all the blessings we enjoy. We are especially grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his atonement. We hope that each of you have peace and joy in your life, particularly during this festive time of year.


Merry Christmas!
John, Laurie, Jacob, David, Michael, and A.J.